Explosive-engine.



R. RAGAN. EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1911.

Patented Dec. 24, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses Attorneys R. RAGAN.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLIOATION'IILED JULY 24, 1911.

, 1,048,095, Patented Dec. 24, 1912' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f k jg Witnesses nverytor.

' Attornys R. RAGAN.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY'24, 1911.

Patented Dec 24, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Witnesses nventor V Attorneys RA PH RAGAN, or ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

EXPLOSIVE-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application filed July 24, 1911. Serial No. 640,267.

Patented Dec. 24, 1912 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH RAGAN,-.a c1t1- zen of the United States,residing at At: lanta, in the countyof Fulton and State of Georgia,havefinvented anew and useful Explosive-Engine, of which the followingis a specification,

This invention relates "to improvements in explosive engines, and theprimary obj ect of this invention is the provision of a supplemental airand gas mixing and compressing cylinder disposed in parallel with themain or engine cylinder of a reclprocatlng explosive engine, the samebeing provided with an explosive chamber at each end thereof, andadapted to explode at every stroke, a series of rotary valves interposedbetween the carburetor and the gas and an compressing and mixing chamberand between the gas and air! mixing chamber and the explosive cylinderof the engine.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an explosiveengine and air mixing and compressing cylinder so disposed with relationto the explosive cylinder as to feed thereto, in alternation, thedesired quantity ofcarbureted and mixed air under pressure, so that thecompression stroke of theexplosive engine Wlll be to a great extentreduced, and whereby the efii- 'ciency of the explosive charge orpressure exerted upon the piston of the cylinder will be greatlyincreased.

A stiilfurther object of this invention is the provision of an explosiveengine having a carbureter, a double acting gas mixing and supplyingcylinder disposed to. receive the carbureted' air from the carburetor, avalve interposed therebetween to regulate the flow of carbureted airfrom the carbureter to the respective ends of the said cylinder, anexsive force.

plosive cylinder provided'with two explosive and compression chambers inopposedends adapted to receivethe compressed and mixed carburetedairfrom the compressioncylinder, with a valve interposed therebetween forpermitting the entrance of the carbureted air at-the desired end of thecylinder to obtain from the said compressed carbureted air the maximumamount of explo- A still further object of this invention is theprovision of an explosive enginehavi-ng a reciprocating piston mountedtherein and adapted to be acted upon by explosive charges at the endsthereof, vthe exhaust;

therefrom being near the central portion and carried away from thecylinder, so as to in no way affect the'heating of the charge deelivered thereto, or the adjacent parts of the machine for deliveringsaid explosive charge I to the cylinder.

A still further object of this invention, is the provision of meansoperably connected j to the drive shaft of the engine, whereby thecarbureted air mixing and compressingcylinder, the piston in theexplosive cylinder. and the two sets of rotary valves for 'deliveringthe carbureted air to thecompression cylinder and from the compressioncylinder to the'explosive cylinder may be operated in train or time.

WVith the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the and claimed, it being understood thatchanges in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed canbe made withn the scope of what is claimed, without departing from thespirit of the invention.

' detailso'f construction hereinafter described In the drawings :Figure1 is a side elevation of the complete engine. Fig. 2 is anelevationlooking from the compression cyl- -inderside thereof. Fig/3 isa longitudinal sectional view taken on line 3+3 of'Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the complete engine. Fig. 5 is a detailsectional view of one of the rotary valves and its casing. Fig. 6

is an enlarged detail sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Referringto the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the main frame of theengine pro vided at its lowerendfwith the shaft bearings or journals 1for the reception of the shaftQ, the same being provided with the crank3 disposed between the lower members of theframe atthe base of theengine. Op

erably connectedto the crank 3 is a piston rod 4e and disposed in theupper end of the frame-work of the engine is an explosive cylinder 5,said rod 4 entering said cylinder at the lower end thereof andcarryingreciprocatingly within said cylinder or rather the bore'thereof, apiston 6, which is'provided with the two series 7 and 7 of split packingrings, and the central oilreceiving groove 8 being providedcircumferentially of said piston. Carried by and disposed upon oppositeends of the said'piston are the battle I plates 9 and 9 respectively,which are adapted to convey the explosive charge to the respectiveexplosive engine while the burned charge enters the exhaust outlet 40 or40, as will later appear.

The cylinder 5 as clearly shown in Fig. 3 is provided at its oppositeends with the explosive compartments or chambers 10 and 10, in the outerwalls of which are mounted the spark plug receiving means 11 for thespark plugs 11, whereby the charge compressed within the respective endsof the cylinder may be exploded at the proper time to give the maximumpower to the stroke of the piston.

Surrounding the complete cylinder 5 is a copper jacket 12 which providesa water space for cooling the cylinder and in order to feed waterthereto a supply pipe 13 is provided with the two branches 14 and 14 incommunication with the space within said jacket and exhausts through theoutlet pipe 15, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Properly supported from the upper portion of the framework 1 by means ofthe two arms 16 and 16' are the heads 17 and 17 of the air compressingand supplying cylinder 18, the diameter and length of which areidentical with the diameter and length of stroke of the cylinder 5, thetie rods a being employed to retain the heads 17 and 17 upon therespective ends of the cylinder or tube 18. Mounted for reciprocationwithin the cylinder 18 is a plunger or piston head 19 provided with aseries of packing rings 19 and connected for operation to the piston rod20, said head 19 being adapted to be operated to assume the oppositeposition to the piston head 6 within the cylinder 5, so that explosivemixture is compressed and delivered to the cylinder 5 at the propertime, that is as clearly shown in Fig. 3 the lower end 10 of thecylinder 5 having the fully compressed explosive charge and ready forexploding the same whereas the compartment 10 has had its chargeexploded propelling the piston 6 downwardly to the exhausting position,where the baffle plate 9 has conducted the exhaust charge to the port 40and the piston 19 has delivered its charge to the upper portion of thecylinder '5, to be compressed and exploded upon the upward stroke of thepiston 6 and in the compartment 10, as the piston 19 is moved down in anopposite direction to the piston 6. In order to accomplish the properreciprocation of the piston 19 within the air compressing and feedingcylinder 18, the piston rod 20 is provided with the adjusting sleeve 21whereby the same may be lengthened or shortened and its pin 22 carriedin the lower end thereof, is mounted for a sliding movement within theslot 23 of the crank 24 carried upon the end of the shaft 2, said crank24 being disposed in opposite direction to the crank 3 of the shaft, theslot 23 permitting a slight sliding retarding motion to the piston 19,the purpose of which will presently appear.

Disposed to one side of the frame is the carbureter 25, having amanifold 26 leading therefrom to the casing 27 from which lead, in theopposite direction from the manifold, the two carbureted air conductingconduits or pipes 28 and 29, respectively, the conduit or pipe 28leading to the pipe 30 into the upper end of the gas and air compressingcylinder 18, while the conduit or pipe 29 leads to the branch pipe 29and to the inlet pipe 31 to the lower end of the cylinder. Leading fromthe conduit 30 in opposite direction to the conduit 28 is a conduit 33,while leading from the conduit 31 at the lower end of the cylinder 18 isa branch 34 which leads to the conduit 35, said conduits 33 and 35 beingin communication with the cylinder 36 on the same side thereof so thatthe carbureted and mixed air compressed and fed by the cylinder 18 andits piston 19 is supplied to the casing 36 and from there through theinlet conduits 37 and 38 to the ports 39 and 39' of the cylinder 5.

As before mentioned leading from the cylinder 5, are the two exhaustports 40 and 40, which as shown in Fig. 4, are covered by the branchconduits or exhaust manifolds 41 and 41 which lead to the exhaust pipe42, thereby conducting the explosive discharges away from the cylinderof the engine so that the heat conducted thereby will not interfere withthe parts thereof.

Keyed upon and rotatable with the shaft 2 is a gear 43 which meshes witha gear 44 whose small beveled pinion 45 meshes with and transmits motionto the beveled pinion 46 carried upon the lower end of the verticalshaft 47, which has connected thereon inter mediate of its ends abeveled pinion 48, which meshes with a beveled pinion 49 upon thehorizontal and transverse shaft 50, whose pinion 51 meshes with a pinion52 and whereby the rotation of the shaft 2 will convey simultaneousmotion and in time to the vertical shafts 53 and 47 of the respectiverotary valves, as shown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6, and which aremounted within the respective cylinders or chambers 27 and 36. As bothof these valves are of the same construction, the description of onewill be sufficient, and therefore by referring to Figs. 5 and 6 of thedrawings it will be seen that the rotary valves mounted within saidcylinders 27 and 36 will accomplish the desired result by operating intime to permit the carbureted air to be first admitted to therespectiveends of the cylinder 18 and therein to be delivered at the proper timeto the cylinder 36, whose valve will dispense the carbureted air at theproper time to the bore of the cylinder 5 to be exploded at the desiredstroke of the piston 6 within the bore of the cylinder the actuationthereof operating the crank shaft and the various mechanisms operabletherefrom.

In Fig. 5 the cylinder 86 is illustrated and the bore thereof isslightly tapered and has mounted therein a tapered rotary valve 58, theshaft 47 having slidably connected thereto the small shaft 47, passingthrough a stuffing box 54 whose upper end has mounted thereupon as at 55a ball race for the reception of the balls 56, the cone bearing 57 beingprovided at the upper end of the shaft 47 and carrying the rotary valve58 prosaid coil spring 62 exerting a tension to pull the shaft 47 andthe rotary valve 58 downwardly. e

As clearly shown in Fig. 3 a novel form of stuffing box and lubricatingdevice is provided for the piston rod 4: as it enters the cylinder 5,the same being so constructed as to withstand the great force of theexplosion as the piston 6 is driven upwardly, and

at the same time prevent the escape of oil from the chamber 62providedwithin the casing 63 which is formed or inserted in'the lowerend of the cylinder 5, and in this oasing 63 is mounted the packingmaterial 64 and the stuffing box 65, an oil lead 66 entering the casing65so that the oil is admitted to flow through the channel 0 into thechamber 62 and properly lubricate the piston rod 4 as the same isreciprocated. ,Two split metallic packing rings 62 and 62 havingatendency to contract around the piston rod 4, are mounted in the casing63 at the upper and lower ends thereof. 'In order to admit the oil uponthe down stroke of the piston 6, a valve 67 is mounted within theconduit or pipe 66 and has its arm 68 connected to a link 69, which isoperably connected to the crank shaft, (not shown), at a proper time soas to permit the oil to flow from a pump system to the chamber 62 at thedesired time and be checked by the valve 67 at the proper time toprevent escape of oil to the explosive charge within the bore of thecylinder5. i I

As clearly illustrated, the rotary valves are so mounted and connectedfor operation as .to act as check valves during the explosion at eachexplosive stroke of the piston 6,

and at the proper timeto permiteither port 59 and 59 to admit carburetedair to the cylinder 5, thus providing a combined double check andadmission valve in each cylinder 27 and 36.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings,it-is evident that "by constructing an engine according to thisinvention the carbureted air delivered theretois thoroughly mixed andcompressed before the same is compressed within the cylinder 5 and theexplosion from the explosive charge increased to a maximum; and byproviding an engine. which willex-J plode at each stroke, or twiceduring the full reciprocation thereof, the maximum 'amount of power issecured. Further by a cooling or jacketing means for the. ylinder 5 ofthe engine. U

What is claimed is y 1 1.The combination with an (explosiveengine,having two parallel cylinders, one of which'is a power cylinder and theotherof which is a pumping cylinder, a piston mounted in thepowercylinder to compress an explosive mixture at the end of eachstroke, means for explodlng such mixture to propel the piston, saidpower cylinder being,

provided with centrally disposed intake and exhaust ports, and a pistonin thepump cylinder mounted to be reciprocated in consonancewith thepower piston, of acarbureter, a cylindrical casing interposed betweensaid carbureter and the pump cylin der, a slightly tapered valveprovided with two superposed oppositely disposed ports mounted in saidcasing to control the admission of carbureted air to the respective endsof said pump cylinder, another cylindrical casing interposed between theintake ports of the power cylinder and the pump cylinder, and a slightlytapered rotary valve providednwith two superposed oppositely disposedports mounted in said casing to control the admission of the explosivecharge from either end of the pump cylinder to the power cylinder. V; l1

2. An explosive engine, having four vertically disposed cylinders, pneof said cylinders. being a power cylmder, another of said cylindersbeing a carbureted air pumping cylinder, while the other two cylindersare valve cylinders, one being disposed to cylinder, a carbureted airmanifold leading to one valve cylinder, aconduit leading from 1 7saidcylinder to the carbureted air pumping cylinder, another conduitleading from said carbureted air pumping cylinder to the remainlng valvecylinder, and. a conduit-leading from said lastmentioned valve cylinderto the power cylinder;

3. An explosive engine, having four vertically disposed cylinders, oneof said cylinders being a power cylinder, another of said cylindersbeing a carbureted air pump ing cylinder, while the other two cylindersare valve cylinders, one being disposed to control the supply ofcarbureted air to the pumping cylinder while the other is disposed tocontrol the supply of carbureted air from the pumping cylinder to thepower cylinder, a conduit leading from each end of the pumping cylinderand having two branches one connected to the valve cylinder to lead thecarbureted air to the pumping cylinder and the other leading to theother valve cylinder to convey the carbureted air to the power cylinder,a piston mounted for reciprocation within the pumping cylinder, anotherpiston mounted for reciprocation within the power cylinder, a valvemounted in each one of said valve cylinders, and a crank shaft, operablyconnected to the respective pistons and valves for operating themconsonantly.

t. An explosive engine, having four vertically disposed cylinders, oneof said cylinders being a power cylinder, another of said cylindersbeing a carbureted air pumping cylinder, while the other two cylindersare valve cylinders, one being disposed to control the supply ofcarbureted air to the pumping cylinder while the other is disposed tocontrol the supply of carbureted air from the pumping cylinder to thepower cylinder, a conduit leading from each end of the pumping cylindersand having two branches one connected to the valve cylinder to lead thecarbureted air to the pumping cylinder and the other leading to theother valve cylinder to convey the carbureted air to the power cylinder,a piston mounted for reciprocation within the pumping cylinder, anotherpiston mounted for reciprocation within the power cylinder, a valvemounted in each one of said valve cylinders, and a crank shaft operablyconnected to the re spective pistons and valves for operating themconsonantly, each of said valves being composed of a tapered circular incross section member having two superposed oppositely disposed ports forregistration with the branch conduits leading to and from the pumpingcylinder.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

RALPH RAGAN.

Witnesses:

C. F. BARNWELL, L. R. VAUGHN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

